Regulator for dynamo-electric machines and motors



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. THOMSON.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES AND MOTdRS. No. 367,470. PatentedAug. 2, 1887.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR- N. PETERS Flwluhlhagraphur, wuhm ton, D. c.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSh eet'2 E. THOMSON. REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELEGTRIGMACHINES AND MOTORS. 1 No. 367,470. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

WITNESSES: I IIVVEIVTOR Zgwgz%@% 6% JZWm MM I 22 W A T TORNE Y N PETERS.Fhutnl-idmqmphar, Washington. D. c.

the field magnetism accompanied by simul- UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIHU THOMSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

REGULATOR FOR DYN AMO-ELECT RIC MACHINES AND MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Iva-367,470, dated August2, 1887.

Application filed April 14, 1886.

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIHU THOMSON, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Regulators for Dynamo ElectricMachines and Motors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for regulating or determining the actionof dynamo-electric machines and motors through variation of taneousadjustment of the commutator of the machine.

The invention isprimarily designed for application to machines used asgenerators of electricity, but may also be applied to electric motors.

The obj ect of my invention is to provide a regulator for application todynamo-machines in which the field is maintained by current in a derivedcircuit to the Work; and the invention consists in the novelcombinations of devices and details of construction that will bedescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be morespecifically designated in the claims.

The aim of the invention is more especially to provide a regulator inwhich the commutator-brushes shall be automatically adjusted to exactcorrespondence with the changed neutral line produced through changeinthe magnetic field, so as to secure entire. absence of sparking at thecommutator under all conditions of adjustment.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a dynamo combined withregulating apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention andconnected to a Working-circuit. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating amodified arrangement of devices for effecting the simultaneousfield-varying and commutator-adjusting actions. Figs. 3 and 4. showmodified arrangements for varying the magnetic field.

Referring to Fig. 1, FF indicate the fieldmagnet coils of a dynamomachine or motor of any form, and A the revolving armature thereof. I

B is a movable lever carrying the commutator-brushes and'adapted to bemoved in either direction, so as to determine the relation of Serial No.198,859. (Nomodeh) the brushes to the magnetic field and the neutralline.

The field-coils of the machine are connected in derived circuit to theworking'circuit that supplies electric lamps L L, or other devices inmultiple are, as indicated, and in said derived circuit is placed avariable resistance, R, of any desired kind, whose amount is determinedby means of a lever, K, having an operating-handle, H, which moves aspring over a series of contacts connected to the sections of theresistance.

' The operation of such a device,vbeing well understood in the art, neednot be more particularly described. In its place, however, any means maybe used for varying the strength of the magnetic field such, forinstance, as a sectional field-coil whose sections may be cut out orintroduced into circuit by means of a handle operating a slidingcontact, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Such a device is also well known inthe art as a means of changing the strength of the magnetic field.

Connected with the movable handle operat ing the sliding contact thatchanges the resistance or the number of coils, so as to adjust thefield, is a link, J, that serves to impart movement to thecommutator-brush holder simultaneously with the mot einent of thesliding contact.

The mechanical connections are such, as will be obvious on inspection,that simultaneously with the insertion of resistance into thefield-circuit, so as to cut down the strength of the field, there isproduced a backward movement of the brushes, while on the cutting out ofresistance and the consequent strengthening of the field the brushes areautomatically moved forward. As will be obvious, therefore, when thenumber of multiple-arc circuits containing lights or other devices, L,is increased, the potential is restored to normal by increasing thestrength of the field, while simultaneously the brushes are movedautomatically forward, so as to follow the neutral point, and viceversa.

In the arrangements just described a mechanical connection, J, betweenthe brush or movable commutator and the field-varying devices isemployed for effecting simultaneous adjustment through the action of anoperating handle, H, during changes of load. It will be obvious,however,that any other connectionmechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or electricin its action and properly controlled to unite the two elements offield-varying devices and adjustable commutatorma be employed when theadjustments are effected by the action of an operating-handle.

In Fig. 2 I have shown how an electromagnet may be utilized forproducingthe desired simultaneous actions. In this case movement iscommunicated to the brush-holder of the commutator by means of anelectro-magnet, 0, whose coils are included in the circuit with thevariable resistance R, and whose coreD is lifted into the coil on anincrease of current in said coil, so as to move the brushes forward. Aspring, S, acting in opposition to such movement of the core with anincreasing power as the core is lifted, secures a gradual upwardmovement of the core with gradual increase of current in the coils.

Any movement of the handle I-I governing the resistance to keep thepotential constant despite changes in the number of lights or otherworking devices, L, will be followed by correspondingproper adjustmentsof the commutator of the nature already described through thesimultaneous changes of current in the coils O,conseq uent on thecutting out or throwing in of resistance in the field-circuit by thevariable rheostat formed by the artificial resistances, its contacts,and the movable lever K, carrying the spring moving over said contacts.

Itis ofcourse to be understood thatthe power of the magnet G, the weightof the core D, and the force of the spring S are adjusted duly and theset of the parts of the commutator determined, so that the brushes willbe kept on the neutral line during movements of the core D, effected asalready described.

The action produced on the commutator by the movement of theconnecting-link J may be varied by changingits leverage, such changebeing permitted through the device allowing adjustment of the end oflink .I, that is connected to the lever K,to various distances from thefulcrum of the latter. A similar variable connection to the lever B maybe provided.

I have herein described the commutator as one in which the desiredadjustment with relation to the neutral line is effected by moving thecommutator-brushes5 but I do not wish to be understood as confiningmyself to the adjustment of any particular portion of the commutatingdevices, since the relation of the brushes to the line of commutationmay be changed in other ways known in the art.

It is evident that a movement of the adjusting mechanism and itsadjuncts shown in Fig. 2 might be effected by means of an electro-magnetconnected to the workingcircuit. Such a magnet is indicated at M and isincluded in a derived circuit to the lights or workirig-resistances. Itsarmature G is mounted on a lever insueh way that it moves transversel yto the pole of the magnet.

The leverearrying the armature is connected by a link with the lever K.In this case it is plain that the coils G will. operate in the same wayto secure the simultaneous adjustment of the commutator.

In Fig. 3 I have shown my invention carried out by the employment ofother means for determining the strength of the field-magnet, such meansbeing in the latter instance an iron yoke, Y, supported andguided bysuitable mechanism and adjusted toward or away from the field-magnetpoles by means of a hand-wheeLI'I, connected with a screw that works inasuitable fixed frame, N. Turning the handle II, so as to cause theyokeY to approach the fieldpoles, cuts down the field by shunting themagnetism of the polcsin obvious ways, while the counter movementincreases the held by removing the armature or yokeY.

The field-magnet coils are, as before, in a shunt to theworking-resistances L, which latter are operated in multiple are, asshown, and require a constant potential. The link J, joining the leveror yoke 13 with the armature Y, is connected in such way that when thearmature or yoke is brought near to the field-poles to cut down theiield magnetism, which operation is rendered necessary by the decreaseof load consequent on opening a branch or branches containing devices L,the brushes carried by I; will be set backward, or in a directionopposite to the direction of revolution of the armature. Vhen, however,the load is increased by an increase in the number of multiplc-arcbranches or workingresistances, and the armature Y is moved back so astoincrease the field magnetism, the commutator will be set so that thebrushes will be put forward in the direction of revolution, or inposition to coincide with the new neutral line.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination,with adynamo-electric machine having its field-coils in derived circuit to thework, of a field-varying device and means for simultaneously andautomatically moving the commutator-brushes backward when the fieldmagnetism is diminished, and vice versa.

2. In a regulator for dynamo-electric machines or motors, thecombination, with an adjustable commutator, of an operatingelectro-magnet coil, Cl, included in a circuit with a variableresistance and the field-magnct coil, as and for the purpose described.

3. The con'ibination, with a dynamoelectric machine supplying workingresistances in multiple are, of a field-coil in a derived circuitthereto, a variable resistance in said circuit, and anadjustablecommutatorhaving an operating-magnet included in thevariable-resistance circuit.

t. In a dynamo-electric machine, the com bination of an adjustablecommutator and a magnet for operating the same, said magnet State ofMassachusetts, this 9th day of April, havingits coils connected withavariable field- A. D. 1886. circuit, so that variations in the latterfor changing the field strength will change the ELIHU N' Y 5 strength ofthe magnet and effect a simul- \Vitnesses:

taneous adjustment of the commutator. M. L. THOMSON,

Signed at Lynn, in the county of Essex and GEORGE J. CARR.

